Latest MLB mock draft predicts Guardians could blow up progress they made last year

Last year the Clevleand Guardians took a big swing in the MLB Draft by selecting Texas A&M outfielder Jace LaViolette. LaViolette made sense on paper given he’s a powerful outfielder who spent his collegiate career mashing the ball at College Station. 

But he also was coming off a season where his stock dipped a bit thanks to strikeout issues, and he was also in the midst of undergoing surgery for a broken hand. 

After taking the “safe” route with Travis Bazzana in 2024, the Guardians’ selection of LaViolette was a bit of a swing on a boom-or-bust outfielder.

Could they do the same thing this season? 

Earlier this week, FanSided’s Chris Landers and Mark Powell put out a new mock draft, where they had the Guardians taking Louisville outfielder Zion Rose, who has a profile that sounds… familiar. 

“The defense in left field leaves something to be desired, but as a hitter, it’s hard to poke a hole in his profile – he slashed .417/.491/.646 this season at Louisville, after all. If his plate discipline doesn’t collapse against pro pitching, the upside here is immense,” Landers wrote. 

The Guardians were predicted to take Lousiville outfielder Zion Rose in latest MLB mock draft

In other words, he has a profile similar to LaViolette. While the Guardians selection of LaViolette last year made sense given Cleveland’s outfield future looked a bit uncertain, things have settled a bit since last year thanks to the emergence of Chase DeLauter along with Angel Martínez looking like a full-time outfielder.

Even prospects Cooper Ingle and Ralphy Velazquez have seen time in the outfield in Triple-A. 

LaViolette got off to a rough start at High-A Lake County but has gotten better as the year has gone on and just recorded a game where he recorded a career-high six RBI. 

He’s a promising outfield prospect with some clear holes, which is pretty much what Rose would be .

He posted the gaudy numbers that Landers pointed out, but he only played in 36 games last year due to injury troubles. He also may not stick in the outfield, which is a bit of a red flag. 

This year has been a tangible example of just how good the Guardians’ young core is, as DeLauter, Travis Bazzana and Parker Messick have bonafide Rookie of the Year cases while Ingle and Velazquez are part of the next wave of prospects who should make their MLB debuts sometime in the next 12 months. 

LaViolette may not be a bit behind that timeline, but he’s still clearly a part of the team’s future.

This year’s draft isn’t considered to be as deep as last season’s (which may be part of the reason why Cleveland already traded one of their picks for Patrick Bailey), but the small-market Guardians have become a perennial contender thanks to their strong developmental pipeline. 

Adding Rose would be a bit of a step back in that regard.

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